The Rocks Cafe & Shop 5 — Restaurant in Invercargill City

Kia Ora, I'm a seafood enthusiast. I've travelled to almost all of the cities in New Zealand from North to South. I stumbled upon this restaurant by luck. Me and my mates from Nepal were doing to coastal tour of NZ. Our main destination was Dunedin where we were going to fulfill our dream of watching the creative force behind the magic of Pink Floyd live, Roger Waters. It was kind of a pilgrimage for us.

We were just supposed to pass through Invercargill but our stomach called and we answered. We stopped at a random parking spot. Loved the antique parking meter which required coins to be inserted and displayed the remaining time. We saw The Rocks Cafe & Shop. Us being rock music fans naturally got attracted to the place.

The place had a nice vibe. Kind of like a touristy peaceful spot back home in Nepal. The music was nice. As soon as I saw the seafood platter in the menu, I knew I had to get it. We got some local craft beers and we were just bantering. When the food arrived, it was a smack in the face. I had the japanese anime character shocked face 😱. The presentation, the portion size, the variety, it was all there. And bang for a buck too. Then the taste, it was heavenly. Nothing felt like it didn't deserve a place in the platter. It was carefully thought out meal. My mates ordered steak and some other stuff, but this platter was the winner for me.

This is the best seafood meal I've ever had. I've never been sure of anything in my life. But this is something I'm completely sure about. The manager was such a lovely lady. I promised her I would write a review. But I forgot due to the rush of the trip. It's been over a year so I've forgotten quite a bit. I think her name was Jade. If you ever visit there then give her a shout from the Nepalese boys. I can vouch for this place. A must visit and must eat place. Dunno how famous it is but for us it is a hidden gem that universe bestowed upon us. Glad I could keep my promise.

Peace &...

Decided to head to the Rocks Cafe, You will be greeted by one of the Owners Sweta James. Sweta has a great personality that will guide you through the menu. Nothing is a problem even if you have fussy eaters with you, they will help out. Parking is on the street so plenty of that. They have a good range of beers and wine, as well as non alcoholic drinks available . I couldn’t go past the Sea Food Chowder. Blue Cod is not on the menu, it’s just too costly but they have another fish alternative which is just as good. I was interested to see how the Sea Food Chowder would go. Wow it was fantastic and there was plenty of bite size fish chunks in it. A lot more than I thought there would be. Very creamy indeed a very good starter. Moved onto the Surf and Turf Eye fillet . Very tender and cooked well to my Medium Rare standard . You can check the specials board to see what will be going sea food wise as with the Surf and Turf. The other meal Fillet Mignon had to be well done , this is challenge for some chiefs but not here again cooked perfect. The other diner with us had a Warm Beef Salad it also looked great and if you are a salad type , the photo says a thousand words. Deserts these are a bit smaller (about medium size I Would say) but by the time you get through your starter and main you don’t need a massive one. Again like all of this meal to date they are very good as well . Price wise I think is very good. They also have a private function room that can cater for 71 so if you’re looking for some where to go, check them out. I will be coming back...

A Fantastic Steak Experience at Rocks!

I dropped by Rocks for lunch on March 19 at 1:15 PM without a reservation, just hoping for the best. Luckily, Sweeta at the front was super welcoming and made sure I got a table—huge thanks for that!

I had my eyes on the Rib Eye, but since the kitchen was closing at 2 PM, I asked Liza (from the front-of-house team) if the chef would still be okay with my order. To my delight, both Liza and the kitchen team were incredibly accommodating and let me order the Rocks Rib Eye—and I’m so glad they did!

The steak? Absolutely amazing. Hands down, the best rib eye in Invercargill so far. Cooked medium rare, it was juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. But what really impressed me was the attention to detail—not just the steak, but also the side salad. The vinaigrette sauce was the perfect balance of tangy and fresh, elevating the whole dish. And let’s not forget the garlic butter, which brought everything together beautifully.

For $28, the lunch price for this steak is a steal considering the quality. To put it into perspective, I’ve been to some Asian restaurants in Invercargill where a simple stir-fried noodle dish (with just a little meat) costs almost the same as this high-quality Rib Eye—no contest!

Huge thanks to the entire Rocks team, from the front-of-house to the kitchen, for making my lunch such an enjoyable experience. I’ll...